This invention relates to labels for containers, containers with labels on and methods of applying labels to containers.
Drugs are sometimes supplied in a dehydrated form and then prior to use the drug is reconstituted by adding it to a suitable solvent. For example, a patient may be supplied with a vial of freeze dried drug and a cartridge of solvent for the drug. Prior to use, the patient has to reconstitute the drug with the contents of the cartridge and refill the cartridge with the solution of the drug. The drug is then injected. Typically a single dose is reconstituted at a time before being administered immediately, so that the reconstitution process must be undertaken whenever a dose of the drug is required. Whilst it would be theoretically more convenient to reconstitute multiple doses at a time and store the reconstituted drug for a period of time, say one to two weeks, this is not generally done. This is because there is a potential for confusion between those cartridges containing the reconstituted drug and those containing the solvent alone. Furthermore, since the drug will tend to have a limited shelf life once reconstituted, there is a risk that if the patient loses track of the time-elapsed since reconstitution, the reconstituted drug may be stored for too long and become ineffective. One way to overcome these problems might be to apply a new label over the old one onto which the reconstitution date is written. However, the inconvenience of the need to keep a supply of labels for all the cartridges to be relabelled would tend to negate the benefit of reconstituting multiple doses at once.
Viewed from one aspect, the present invention provides a container having a first label part adhesively attached thereto, said first label part comprising a marking panel, and a second label part adhesively attached to the first label part so as to cover at least a portion of the marking panel, said second label part being detachable to uncover said portion of the marking panel.
Viewed from another aspect, the invention provides a method of applying a label to a container, comprising adhesively attaching a first label part comprising a marking panel to the container and detachably covering at least a portion of the marking panel with a second label part by adhesively attaching said second label part to said first label part.
Viewed from a further aspect, the invention provides a label for a container, comprising a first label part to be adhesively attached to the container, said first label part comprising a marking panel, and a second label part to be adhesively attached to the first label part for covering at least a portion of the marking panel, wherein in use said second label part is detachable to uncover said portion of the marking panel.
In use of the container, the second label part may be detached to reveal the previously covered area of the first label part which may have different information on it. The different information may for example be relevant to a change or modification to the contents of the container.
In one preferred embodiment, the container holds a diluent for reconstitution with a drug in dehydrated form. The second label part may provide information relating to the diluent itself, whilst the area of the first label part which is to be uncovered may provide information about the reconstituted drug.
The first label part may be provided with all the information needed once the relevant area thereof has been uncovered. In some circumstances, however, it may be desirable to add additional information after detachment of the second label part. This is made possible by the marking panel provided on the first label part. The term marking panel means a panel on which information may be hand-written, stamped, printed etc.
In the case of a container of a reconstituted drug, the added information may for example consist of the date of reconstitution or a xe2x80x9cuse byxe2x80x9d date calculated from the date of reconstitution.
It may be necessary to separate the second label part from the first label part with the aid of scissors or a knife. It is however preferred for the first and second label parts to be joined by a tearable join, so that a user can simply tear away the second label part, leaving the container labelled by the first label part. The user may need to hold the first label part against the container when tearing off the second label part, but preferably the adhesive attachment of the first label part to the container is such that the peel strength of the first label part is greater than the tearing strength of the tearable join. With such an arrangement, the second label part can be torn away without a user having to make a substantial effort to hold the first label part in place on the container.
Thus, viewed from a further aspect, the invention provides a label for a container, comprising a first label part to be adhesively attached to the container and a second label part to be adhesively attached to the first part for covering at least a portion of the first label part, the first and second label parts being joined by a tearable join, the first label part having adhesive on its underside such that the peel strength of the first label part is greater than the tearing strength of the tearable join.
To facilitate removal of the second label part whilst keeping the first label part in place on the container, the first label part preferably has a greater peel strength than the second label part. This may be achieved by providing the first label part with a much stronger adhesive than that of the second label part.
Preferably an area of the underside of the second label part, which overlies or is intended to overlie the writing panel, is free of adhesive. This is advantageous since it prevents residue from the adhesive being left on the marking panel once the second label part has been removed, which would make it more difficult to mark, e.g. write, on the panel. Thus in a preferred embodiment, the second label part has at least one area free of adhesive as well as an adhesive portion.
A user may be able to grip an edge portion of the second label part to remove it. Preferably, the second label part has a tab to facilitate it being gripped in order to detach it from the first label part.
The label may be wrapped round the circumference of a container, which may be cylindrical, for example right-circular cylindrical. Thus the first label part may be wrapped directly around the container with the second label part being wrapped at least partially over the first. The second label part is removed by unwrapping it and, if a tearable join is provided, tearing it off. If the second label part covers the first only partially, its length in the circumferential direction will be less than that of the first label part. Thus information provided on the first label part may be visible both before and after detachment of the second label part. In a preferred embodiment, however, the second label part has a circumferential length substantially equal to the circumference of the container. The second label part can then substantially cover the entire first label part before it is removed.
Whilst it would be possible for the first label part to have a circumferential length less than the circumference of the container, it is preferred for the first label part to be longer, e.g. at least 2% longer, preferably at least 5% longer, so that it overlaps itself when applied around the container. Such an overlapping arrangement assists the first label part in resisting unwrapping when the second label part is unwrapped.
It is preferred that the two label parts both have a circumferential length at least equal to the circumference of the container. The label may therefore be attached to the container by revolving the container through at least two full turns relative to a label. The label may be applied manually but is preferably applied by a known labelling machine. One way of carrying out such a method would be to set up the labelling machine to revolve the container through the correct circumferential amount, e.g. about two revolutions, rather than the usual one revolution employed with a normal label wrapped just once around the container.